Not a new (EU) position

From European Voice's Entre-Nous column

7/29/09, 9:02 PM CET

Updated 4/23/14, 8:57 PM CET

The EU funds a summer camp with a difference.

The Commission’s energetic quest for innovative and effective ways to spend EU development money will take a novel turn next month when the “Light&Love” summer camp is held on the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary.

The camp is being organised as part of an EU-funded project on “integrating development issues into the sexual health and rights framework”, and will be run by associations from Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

The organisers say that the camp ( 3-9 August) will give 80 young volunteers dealing with sexual health and reproductive issues “possibilities to exchange information about their countries, introduce and improve training methodologies, discuss co-operation, build relationships with peers from other countries and also have fun together”.

To judge from the photographs on the website, the chances are fairly high that, with this project, the Commission will enjoy some success in channelling the energies of young people.

Those of a more prudish nature, concerned that the illustrations suggest a new stance for the EU, will be relieved to learn that alongside the EU logo in acknowledgement of financial assistance, a text makes clear that the contents “can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the EU”.